Laptop

I am thinking about taking my laptop with me to India when I go there, as it will be very useful and helpful to me. I can update my travel blog often and won't have to take notes all the time and let them pile up. Do you think it is a good idea or is there a possibility that it gets stolen?

Is there any reason why you think it will be stolen? I travel all around the world with my notebook but I have never had a problem with it as regards safety. Don't leave it out in the open or unattended when you are outside.

I don't see why you can't take it with you. It may be an added weight to carry around with you during the day so you may want to leave it hidden at the hotel during the day when you are walking around.

Sp long as you take the usual safety precautions you would anywhere I'd say the biggest risks would be humidity, or you getting tired of carrying it. I prefer to travel with something lighter, like an iPad.

There won't be any problem with taking your laptop as long as you keep an eye on it all the time. Even though it may be convenient to you do not entrust your valuables to anyone while travelling. Also you have to take special care on railway trains especially in the night when you are sleeping. Keep your laptop and other valuables in bag with you on the berth while sleeping. Also get a lock or chain to tie to luggage to the underside of seats. I have had many a sleepless train journeys because of this; it's better to take precautions rather than regret later.

Don't carry your laptop in a laptop bag and try and carry it in any other type of bag, even a rucksack. This helps because if you make it obvious that you are carrying a laptop you might become the target of organized gangs that steal laptops.

I think it's a great idea especially if your laptop is light and portable. If you're worried about theft then don't go to shady places and always watch you place your bag. Put a lock in there and add a safety password or security GPS on your laptop.

Of course there is a possibility that it will get stolen. Just as there is a possibility that it will get stolen if you take it to a cafe or on a train in your home town, or if you are travelling around Europe, or Africa, or America, or anywhere. There's always a risk that your passport, money, valuables etc. will be stolen when you're travelling. The risk rises because you're on the road much more, so you have more time during your day when you and your valuables are in a strange place, and not just secure in your own home, and also because you're spending your time looking around you at what you're there to visit, so you might get distracted and give someone a chance to take it. This isn't particular to India, though. Use common sense and standard travel advice and take care. I was on a night train in India once, and when we arrived two other tourists had had their backpacks stolen from underneath their beds while they slept. Take a chain/cable and a padlock. At least one. Padlock your bag to your bed when you're on overnight trains. Sleep with your valuables in a fanny pack under your skin, and things like your laptop in bed with you. Be careful how you store your things in shared rooms in hostels - lock everything to your bed there, too, if you can. Keep a hand on your bag when you're out and about, and be generally alert. These, though, are things you should do everywhere when you're travelling, not just in India.

Either keep it with you in a backpack with a lock attached, or somewhere safe wherever you are staying. Keep an eye out at all times, never get comfortable. All it takes is one momentary lapse of judgment and it's gone

When you travel with valuables use common sense. I travel with a laptop bag and no one has ever tried to mug me for it, and I am a woman. Still, thefts can happen, not just in India, but anywhere. When you are in public with valuables make sure the long strap is secured around your body, not just hanging off one arm. Pay attention to your surroundings, stay in well lit areas and stay with large groups. Make sure that you use a reputable hotel, and if you are really that worried have the hotel lock your laptop in the safe. Technology is world wide, it is quite common that people travel with laptops, and most people don't experience any violence.

You have no reason not to bring it at all. If it happens to be stolen, it could happen anywhere, not especially in India. Just keep it in your eyes everytime and you'll have no problem. And this applies to anywhere you might be going to.

For me personally these days I don't really lug my laptop on travels with me. Most of my emailing/internet stuff can be done via my smartphone and that way it's basically on me at all times - I would literally have to be mugged for it to be stolen.

I think as long as you're not waving high value electronics around, then you should be okay though. If your hotel has a safe and you're not taking the laptop out with you during the day, I'd keep it there - just in case!

You have to consider that it will weigh you down both physically and mentally. Physically in the sense that you will be carrying it around with you while traveling, it will be in your backpack while you walk countless hours through the different locales. Mentally, you will have to constantly worry about it being stolen, along with your other valuables. It may be good to have it for documentation, but the negative effects are incredibly large compared to that one perk. Just my two cents.

If the weight won't be too much of a bother, then might as well bring it along with you. During my travels back then, I used to bring my laptop with me. But since the dawn of tablets and more technologically advanced smart phones, I stopped bringing it along. Tablets or smart phones are much smaller and they are easier to carry around. And there are also phone apps that you can use when taking down notes.

I think if you are sensible with it then you will be fine. Most consumer electronics can and will be stolen in a high number or tourist friendly countries. Just keep it close to you as often as possible and try not to advertise that you have it in public. Also try and get a feel for the areas you are in when you want to use it in a bar or cafe for example.